Pets!

Jenni - posted on 07/03/2009

pets luv em and hate em!!! i have a dog that i adopted from the human society and we've honestly been through thick and thin... she's been with me through two failed relationships, the first of which tried to "attain" custody of her even though he hated animals... (i believe it was a ploy to keep in contact with me)... after getting her back from the girl he cheated on me with my next ex "held" her for me until i had a place to keep her... i got her at 9 months old and she is now 8 yrs old... after much training and going through stages of many behavioural problems she has come out on top! she is an awesome dog and friend and has been with throughout the good and bad... my biggest problem with her now (as well as my spouses cat) is the SHEDDING!!!! i swear i could build a new dog each day with the amount of hair i sweep up... i'm surprised my 11 month old doesn't poop out puppies with the amount of hair that goes into his mouth!!! next time around, god forbid something bad happens to my Val, but i am getting a mexican hairless!!!! lol

Iris - posted on 07/03/2009

I have a 3 year old Singapura cat,Cloey, she's a Diva... and a Pappillon dog, Mani, that is 7 months. They are both really sweet and the girls love them. Mani seems to be very submissive to Cloey....quite funny at times.

Cara - posted on 07/03/2009

I have 2 very spoilt, very crazy but totally lovable pugs.

Traci - posted on 06/30/2009

Quoting Sara:

My brother-in-law has an English Mastiff that is about 180lbs...stupidest dog you will ever meet. And, it's like having a pony or something, he's huge. He came in from being outside in the woods by their house one day, opened his mouth to yawn and a squirrell came running out. It was hilarious!

OMG...That's the dog I want next!  I'm BEGGING my husband for a mastiff...or a Saint Bernard...or a Great Dane...etc.

My whole life growing up we always had big dogs, lots of German Shepards (cop family, you know?), Dobermans, Rottweilers, etc.  I'm not much a fan of small dogs.  We have a gold lab that's about 10 years old so we're looking to get another dog before he passes away.  When we lived in Okinawa we got him from a pet store there.  He ended up having Parvo and he almost died.  But Arnold is tough and he came through okay. 

A few months later we got a female Rottweiler and named her Lady.  I'd still have her too but the Air Force messed up our papers (I'm telling you, gov't can't do ANYTHING right!) and didn't book our dogs for our flight home.  It was going to cost us over 2300 bucks to fly both dogs home, so we compromised and only brought Arnold home (still costing us $1200 to fly a DOG home-how dumb is that???).

My husband is a cop and his commander is trying to get him to be a canine officer so he will be able to take his squad car home and I'm so excited about it!  It'll be a German Shepard, I'm sure, which is cool.  And the dog will live with us.  But I'm still going to want a dog for our home.   My husband wants a Bulldog, but I want a big, horselike dog. LOL  The bigger the better!  LOL 

Sapphire - posted on 06/29/2009

My 10 year old cats are siblings. Pepper is a black and white tuxedo kitty, and Sassy is a calico bitch. My 3 year old Lab mix is Hercules, and he is my 'special needs' mutt. Hercules has epilepsy and is prone to violent cluster seizures. He was a street mutt who foudn us when he was approximately 6 mnoths old, and my son was 18 months. Boy & dog! Hercules warmed up to Matthew so instantly, and it's the only reason we kept him. Pepper tolerates Hercules, but Sassy will just swat at him.

Cathy - posted on 06/29/2009

lol, I'm not scared. We get him at the start of the summer hols, so can be around all day to train. Doing my research and have books specifically for beagle training (apparently regular dog training books are only good as chew toys for a beagle). It's hard to find the right type of dog to fit with my family. My eldest is scared of big dogs getting too close, and we don't have enough space for one. Don't want a small yappy dog with two young kids scaring it. But a well trained beagle should go nicely. I'm ready for the challenge.

Erin - posted on 06/29/2009

Yep beagles sure can be naughty!! My great-grandmother had one that used to escape out of her yard, break into someone else's and steal their washing off the line (her favourite was ladies' underwear). Don't mean to scare you, and they are VERY cute, but yeah you'll need to put some serious hours into training :) Mind you I have a 2yo Lab who is trained but still has her loony moments..

Cathy - posted on 06/29/2009

We've just put a deposit on a beagle puppy. I've heard they are notoriously hard to train but are great with kids. So as well as childproofing for the soon to be mobile baby, I also have to puppy proof the house and backgarden.

Cathelijn - posted on 06/25/2009

We don't have any pets, my husbands hates pets.. But because we live in a flat without a garden I for the moment wouldn't want any pets either it would just be mean. I would love a sausage dog (dachshund) but I am waiting for us to move to house with a garden before I start moaning....

Amie - posted on 06/24/2009

Quoting Sara:

My brother-in-law has an English Mastiff that is about 180lbs...stupidest dog you will ever meet. And, it's like having a pony or something, he's huge. He came in from being outside in the woods by their house one day, opened his mouth to yawn and a squirrell came running out. It was hilarious!

OMG hahahaha I almost pee'd myself I laughed so hard when I read this! hahaha.

Savannah - posted on 06/24/2009

I have a rottwieler and a fat cranky tabby cat. The cat hates my kids, so we just keep them apart. She's really lazy so she just sleeps on my bed all day. So no problem there. The Rotty LOVES my kids and they love her. We want to get our boys one of those floppy eared rabbits. My cousin has one and she says its the coolest.

Sara - posted on 06/24/2009

My brother-in-law has an English Mastiff that is about 180lbs...stupidest dog you will ever meet. And, it's like having a pony or something, he's huge. He came in from being outside in the woods by their house one day, opened his mouth to yawn and a squirrell came running out. It was hilarious!

Sara - posted on 06/24/2009

We have 3 dogs. Two sheltand sheepdogs, Jethro and Isabelle, and a Shih Tzu named Frankie. They are great with my daugher, and she really loves them. She's even crawled over and put her hand in their food bowls while they are eating and they don't care, they just keep on eating. She has pulled their fur and tails and they have never snapped at her, only got up and walked away with a confused look. They are great dogs and now that she's bigger and more interactive, they really are starting to warm up to her and play with her.



I have a friend that has two pit bulls and they are very good with her daughter as well. Honestly, I think it depends more on the owner and how much effort you put into training your dogs, not the breed of dog (or any animal really). I wouldn't want my daughter around a nervous, insecure dog, not matter what breed because they'd be more willing to bite I think.

Sarah - posted on 06/24/2009

I'm going to be the odd one out here!! Although i do like animals (as i'm a vegetarian haha!) i'm not at all interested in having pets!!
I'm sure my daughter will start trying to talk us into getting a pet at some point, and when she does, i think i could just about cope with some fish.
I would never have a dog or cat (i'm slightly allergic to cats anyway!)
I would maybe consider a hamster......
It's not that i'm anti animals, but they're so much work and you have to pay for food and vets bills and things.
Plus, they smell and leave hair everywhere!! haha!!
So no, no pets for me thanks!!
:)

Katie - posted on 06/24/2009

We have a gorgeous all white spoiled cat called Buster!! My daughter is an only child,and jokingly we refer to the cat as her brother!! She is very good to the cat,feeds and waters him,plays cat toys with him,and sits him on her lap and strokes him. I think having a pet has done my daughter the world of good,it has taught her so many loving and caring qualities,that I don't feel she would have mastered from a Nintendo D.S........and she is allergic to dolls,never ever played with dolls!! I love to look back with her on the old photos of herself and the cat,and how they have both grown and matured in stages together,its extraordinary! From toddler to child.....kitten to wise old cat! Often I reflect(but don't get sad,trust me!!),on the fact that the cat and her progression in photos could quite easily have been that of a sibling instead........

Animals,in my opinion,are a wonderful way of teaching kids to care and nurture,and can be a terrific addition to the family,offering great memory making and loyalty.

Amie - posted on 06/23/2009

Awww I liked reading all the stories. I agree that its not so much the breed as the owner. My hubby's friend has a HUGE Rottie. When I say huge his back (not his head) is at my hip. Granted I'm not a big person but I'm average height (5'5"). His name is Bear. He is the gentlest dog though. Of course the one day we were there he tried to sit on me.. not cool! LOL! The first time our toddler met him too she went screaming up to him.. oh puppy puppy puppy.. and grabbed his ears and kissed him! LOL. He never blinked an eye at it. =)
Our dog was a chocolate Lab. I absolutely loved her and miss her a lot. She was so great with our kids. Though like Erin's lab she got easily excited. She'd jump on people but if she heard us say Boo down.. she'd sit and wag her tail and yip. If we were outside with the kids she always kept an eye on them. There was one time she was laying at our feet by the front stoop. Our toddler got to about half way across the yard and then Boo sat up. Toddler kept going so Boo got up and herded her back. =) I wish we would have found her. =(

Erin - posted on 06/23/2009

I have a 2yo black Labrador who is utterly gorgeous but still a total maniac!! People warned me that Labrador's puppy stages extend far longer than most other dogs. She still jumps (I've tried everything to get her to stop) and it's winter so I don't take Milla out to her very often yet. But I take my daughter to the back door and let them talk/sniff through the screen - which they both seem to love. The dog gets so excited but also seems to realise she must be calm so struggles to keep her bum on the ground lol. Funny thing too is Cleo NEVER barked until I bought Milla home from hospital. Now she lets me know every time a car pulls up. Coincidence?? Maybe - but I tend to think she knows things have changed and is playing her part in protecting Milla :) And she has the deepest, fiercest bark ever - not at all suitable to a playful Lab!!

Chantel - posted on 06/23/2009

We have 1 cat and 2 dogs. The cat is 12 so mostly just stays out of Breanna's way but when she does get caught she just yowls until I save her. (Breanna grabs her by the tail) We also have a cocker spaniel who is 14. She too just ignores the baby for the most part and Breanna doesn't usually bother her. We just got a golden retriever pup for christmas and she is awesome!! Breanna climbs on her and takes her toys and bones right out of her mouth!! Best dog I've ever had!!

Mary, I love pit bulls but I honestly would probably be afraid to have one just because of their reputation. It's not a big issue anyway since I live in Ontario and Pit bulls are banned.

Emily - posted on 06/23/2009

We have an almost 3 yr old boxer named Molly. To be honest I am not that much of a pet person but we adopted Molly from a wonderful family before she turned a year...we didn't have to housebreak her YAY! My 1 yr old twins love her. They crack up at her, pet her, tug her ears, give her kisses. I never thought I would let my kids get licked by a dog but here I am...



Molly is so happy to see the girls when they get up in the am and from naps! The only person the dog really torments is my husband, lol! He's her playmate so whenever he comes home she is ready for a nice ball game!



I think my dog adds so much to my girls' lives!

Joy - posted on 06/23/2009

Oh and on another note, my husband wants a puppy but I keep saying no...as in HELL NO! LOL He grew up with dogs and wants Jacob to have one too. I keep telling him that what he doesn't realize is that if we get a dog now, especially with the new baby coming, it wouldn't be fair to anyone. Me, because I would be on triple poop duty. The dog, because it wouldn't get the attention it needs. I'm not really a "dog person" though. The thought of owning one has never really done much for me. I see a puppy and I'm like most people and I go "Awwwww" and I melt...and then promptly give it back lol We'll get a dog when our son is old enough to do most of the "taking care of" himself.

Joy - posted on 06/23/2009

Up until a few months ago, we had 4 cats. I've always had cats and just feel an affinity for them. We now have 3 cats because once my son was able to climb on the furniture it took away the last "safe spot" my cats would hide in (the corner where the couch and love seat arms meet, under an end table). One of my older cats, LilBitt (short for Little Bitch lol) started hissing at him and a few times I caught her actually flicking her paw at him, claws out. I decided to do something about it before it got serious. I agonized over it for weeks and weeks and finally, while talking with a friend of mine that I hadn't seen in awhile, she said "Why don't you let me have her?" I was so relieved because my only other option would have been the "Humane" Society, where they routinely put animals to sleep. She was considered an undesirable because of her age and her anti-social nature. Either way, she is with my friend now and doing well and I can go see her whenever I want. The other 3 cats we still have love my son and don't mind one bit when he smushes them, pulls their tails, etc. We're working on "being nice to the kitty" lol Mostly he just likes to pet them and he likes it when they flick their tails in his face.

It's funny how before I had my son, my cats were like my babies. I've had them for so long, one is almost 13, and I NEVER thought I'd get rid of any of my little itty bitty kitties lol Soon as the baby came home though, they took a back seat and although I wouldn't WANT to get rid of any of them, if I had to I would. Suddenly, when he came home, they went from being my babies to just being pets....

~Jennifer - posted on 06/23/2009

Quoting Mary:


Arnie, I too am an avid animal lover; before Molly, I volunteered at my local Humane Society, and have always, even in college, had some type of pet. We currently have 2 dogs, both resucues. Charlie is a Ridgeback-Boxer mix, aged 6, and Sammy is a 7 y/o pit bull mix....I KNOW some on here are going to crucify me for this...I've already taken a world of crap from over half the people I know....but please, hear me out on this!!



Yes, pit bulls have gotten a bad rap, some of it deserved, but it really does depend on the individual dog. Sammy was 4 when we adopted him, and does have a history of abuse, BUT....he is by no means an agressive dog. Obviously he is dog friendly, as we have 2, and they are best buds. He is scared when new people come into our home, and will usually tremble & hide behind Charlie at first. He so wants to interact, but is really afraid. He is an exceptionnally well-behaved, sensitive & affectionate dog. From the moment we brought Molly home, he has been nothing but sweet & gentle with her. I am a firm believer in raising children with animals, and teaching them how to interact properly with ALL kinds of pets...I was brought up that way as well. We have put much time & effort into nuturing the relationship Molly & the dogs have. I have NEVER left the boys & Molly together unsupervised together (this is harder than it may seem) & it is for the protection of ALL of them. From the day we brought her home, I made sure that John & I spent time with just the boys to help deter any jealousy issues, as well as time for the dogs to interact with the baby. So far, things are GREAT!!.. Molly & I walk the boys at least 3 miles together every day...all 3 of them get beyond excited when I get out the Bjorn - it's everyone's favorite part of the day. Molly has cranky moments when all it takes is a doggie licking her toes to snap her out of...she squeals in delight. She's at the point now where she reaches out & grabs fistfulls of fur, or an ear...and the boys just wag their tails & lick her face. The 1st time she rolled over, it was b/c she wanted to get to a dog...and both were so thrilled & surprised when she made it, lol!



I know a lot of people will criticize me for this, but honestly, I don't believe my pit bull poses any more threat to her safety than other breeds. I have worked HARD at training my dogs to be well behaved (they even know to leave baby toys alone, & know which are hers, & theirs), and I love my boys immensely...they are a permanent part of my family. I feel it is my responsibilty to shape the relationship between my baby & the dogs as they grow, and I owe it to all 3 of them to NEVER allow a situation to occur that could go bad. I'm not a fool, and Molly's safety comes 1st, but I worry more about other people's pets (we have an unusually hostile Lab in my court) than my dogs, who love Molly as they do me. It's meant a little more work for us, but it is so worth the effort!

?? - posted on 06/23/2009

We have a chihuahua shih tzu named Hollie that Gabriel loves to harass and Devon has a hamster that is his sole responsibility to take care of cause I freakin hate the lil rodent! Devons parents (who live upstairs) have a english sheepdog named Memphis. Gabriel loves pulls his hair!



When my son was born, the health nurse does a home visit at 2 weeks, and when she showed up she started lecturing me about my dog and how chihuahuas are very protective and get jealous very easy and you have to pay special attention to them or they lash out at new babies...... she said to me "You have to make sure she feels safe and loved in the home as well." and then she turned around, went to go to her bag that Hollie was sniffing and KICKED my dog out of the way!!!!!!!! I was absolutely LIVID! I told her to leave my house.



I can't wait till Gabriel is older so I can get him a bearded dragon (I want to get him a snake - I love snakes and lizards - I've had 5 snakes, 8 dragons & a blue tongued lizard - but Devon said NO WAY to a snake [party pooper]). When we move out of where we are living now, I think we're going to get a kitten. Devon has always wanted a cat but his mom is allergic to them, so we'll see. No big dogs though, I hate big dogs.

Mary - posted on 06/23/2009

Arnie, I too am an avid animal lover; before Molly, I volunteered at my local Humane Society, and have always, even in college, had some type of pet. We currently have 2 dogs, both resucues. Charlie is a Ridgeback-Boxer mix, aged 6, and Sammy is a 7 y/o pit bull mix....I KNOW some on here are going to crucify me for this...I've already taken a world of crap from over half the people I know....but please, hear me out on this!!



Yes, pit bulls have gotten a bad rap, some of it deserved, but it really does depend on the individual dog. Sammy was 4 when we adopted him, and does have a history of abuse, BUT....he is by no means an agressive dog. Obviously he is dog friendly, as we have 2, and they are best buds. He is scared when new people come into our home, and will usually tremble & hide behind Charlie at first. He so wants to interact, but is really afraid. He is an exceptionnally well-behaved, sensitive & affectionate dog. From the moment we brought Molly home, he has been nothing but sweet & gentle with her. I am a firm believer in raising children with animals, and teaching them how to interact properly with ALL kinds of pets...I was brought up that way as well. We have put much time & effort into nuturing the relationship Molly & the dogs have. I have NEVER left the boys & Molly together unsupervised together (this is harder than it may seem) & it is for the protection of ALL of them. From the day we brought her home, I made sure that John & I spent time with just the boys to help deter any jealousy issues, as well as time for the dogs to interact with the baby. So far, things are GREAT!!.. Molly & I walk the boys at least 3 miles together every day...all 3 of them get beyond excited when I get out the Bjorn - it's everyone's favorite part of the day. Molly has cranky moments when all it takes is a doggie licking her toes to snap her out of...she squeals in delight. She's at the point now where she reaches out & grabs fistfulls of fur, or an ear...and the boys just wag their tails & lick her face. The 1st time she rolled over, it was b/c she wanted to get to a dog...and both were so thrilled & surprised when she made it, lol!



I know a lot of people will criticize me for this, but honestly, I don't believe my pit bull poses any more threat to her safety than other breeds. I have worked HARD at training my dogs to be well behaved (they even know to leave baby toys alone, & know which are hers, & theirs), and I love my boys immensely...they are a permanent part of my family. I feel it is my responsibilty to shape the relationship between my baby & the dogs as they grow, and I owe it to all 3 of them to NEVER allow a situation to occur that could go bad. I'm not a fool, and Molly's safety comes 1st, but I worry more about other people's pets (we have an unusually hostile Lab in my court) than my dogs, who love Molly as they do me. It's meant a little more work for us, but it is so worth the effort!

~Jennifer - posted on 06/23/2009

I'll be honest - I had a rat all through high school. I 'saved' it from an untimely death at the pet store as they were about to feed it to a python. She was the cleanest pet I ever had. she pooped in one corner of her cage, she cleaned herself constantly, and I even trained her to use the litter box, so she was able to run free about the house (with the cats - they became friends, how odd...) I'll probably try to steer my daughter more towards a rat than anything else simply b/c I've had experience with them myself.

Amie - posted on 06/23/2009

LOL! My son wants a lizard too. I can't remember what it's called but every time we're in the pet store he goes running to the same ones. I don't mind them but I have told him (and my hubby!) that he needs to wait until he's older for the same reasons.

My in-laws have ferrets. I don't mind most of them. There is one though I will be happy to see go away. He is a biter and everything they've done to try and correct his behavior hasn't worked. He took after my son once when we were watching their house for them. (They were on vacation in Cuba) My son didn't realize it was the one he wasn't supposed to go near. He tried petting it and the thing freaked out. He bit his way up my son's arm and was almost at his face when my son was able to shake him off. He still has little scars on his arm from that stupid ferret. My SIL lost it and put him back in the cage (that he was supposed to be in!) and made sure to lock it up tight. The rest of them are good though. Other than the fact that they stink. lol!

One of my friends has a dwarf hamster too. I find it a creepy thing honestly. Same with one of my other friends who has a rat!! ewww. LOL.

~Jennifer - posted on 06/23/2009

I have a sign that says "welcome to the zoo" in my house. 4 cats - 4 kittens- soon to be 3 kittens....2 if my visiting mom takes one home with her. My friends bring their dogs when they visit....I take care of everyone's dogs at my home when they go away / on vacation. I swear- I'm about 3 animals away from giving my house Non-Profit Shelter status. 2 of my older cats slept with my children from the day we brought them home from the hospital. (Yes I took the cats out of the rooms and closed their doors when they went to bed, and yes, the cats learned how to work a doorknob and went in anyway) My kids have never been without something furry in the house.

Eventually, I'd like to get my son (4y) a couple of tanks for fish and maybe an iguana or some kind of lizard-type thing, and my daughter (2) is fascinated by guinea pigs, ferrets and rats.

(but......I think I'll wait until they understand what 'cleaning the cage' means. I don't want to have to pick up / clean up any more poop than I have to at this point.)